Fluorescent lamp changing tool



July 24, 1951 L. STUELAND 2,562,071

FLUORESCENT L'AMP CHANGING TOOL Filed July 6, 194a IN VEN TOR. L FE 57'UELA/VD Q Z QQ Patented July 24, 19.51

UNITED STATES I I I rnco tascenrifiignmomo root v Lafe stueland, Alameda, Calif.

The invention relates to tools designed for de tachable engagement with a fluorescent lamp tube; or the like, for facilitating the insertion and removal of such tubes in and from their socket mountings.

object'of the present invention is to provide a fluorescent lamp changing tool of the character described which is designed for simple and ready grasping and support of the tube whereby the lattermay be conveniently and precisely positionedby the user into engagement with the tube mounting sockets for the terminals at the opposite ends of the tube, together with means for readily rotating the tube for securing of its terminals in the mounting sockets, and wherein the tool will function in a reverse manner'in clasping a tube desired to be removed from its mounting and in rotating such tube to a released position.

Another object of the invention is to provide'a fluorescent lamp changing tool of the character above which will firmly grasp the tube being handled by the tool for safe movement into osition in lamp fixtures remotely situated with respect-to the user and wherein the lamp gripping portions of the tool closely fit the periphery of the tube so as to permit the mounting of thetube in a fixture having a reflector or other fixture part inclose proximity to the tube when in mounted position.

' 'The invention possesses other objects and fea tures of advantage; some of which, with the foregoing; will be set forth in the following descrip tion of the preferred form of the invention which is illustrated in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification. It "is to be understood, however, that variations in the show-. ingmade by the said drawing and description may be adopted within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to said drawing:

Figure l is an'e'nd elevation of a fluorescent lamp changing tool constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the tool taken substantially on the plane of line 2- -2 of Figural; I Figure 3 is' a cross-sectionalview of the tool taken substantially on the plane of line 33 of Figure 2.

The tool, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, includes a substantially U-shaped member 6, having an elongated generally rectangular base 1, and a pair of upstanding generally parallel app ic ti n July e; 1948, Serial so." act 3 Olaimsv (Cl. al -an for rotation within the stantially parallel relationto the base 1, is a friction roller! I; preferably formed of re'lativelysoft compressible rubber or like material, supported with itsa'xis'o'f rotation generally parallel to the planes of side'sieande. -The normalspacing of sides 8 and 9is somewhat less than the diameter of a standard fiuorescentlighttube l2 with which the'toolisadapted for use and in operation the sides Rand B are resiliently spread, asillustrated inFigu're 3; soas to embrace opposed peripheral portions of the tube. "'As" will be bestseen from Figures 1 and 3', the sides?! and Bare bowed adjacent th'eir'upper ends l3 and 14 to provide'opposed concave shouldersut and I! which are formed and located" relative to the diameter of tube l2 andthe remainder orthe member 6 so as to resiliently. engage opposedperipheral portions of the tube above the center. thereof so as to firmly clasp the tube between the" shoulders and the periphery'ofroller ilitoprovide a three-point gripping "of, the tube; To facilitate insertion of the tube into positionwithin the clasp, the outer ends l3 andfll of sides third 9 are preferably reverselycurve d with r espectto shoulders 16 and i'rto'thereby'cause an automatic'spreading of the sidesuponfpla'cing oi the ends I3 and 14 a ainst the periphery of a tube1l2. In accordance with the present invention. means is provided exteriorl ofthe clasp member Bffor rota'tihg'the roller ILso as to thereby rotate tube 12 into a secured position in its socket mountings in effecting the'insertion of the tube, or contrawisej a ation of the tube to a released positionwithrespectlto its mounting sockets on removal-or the tube: "This means here consists ofa hollowshaft ,l8" journ a11ed for rotation in a bearingifsleeve fl B'fixed t o'ahddepending from the The I er end ,Z lof shaft I8 is connected v v e ans' 'of a flexible drive 22 and projects" at its oiiteriend 23. from the bearing sleeve I9 for engagement with an extensionpart 24. v The latterispreferaloly detachably connected as by'm a ofialernovable pin 26 or cotter key and m'a'y beyoif any desired length for positioning of .thedevioe at.- remote distances from the user. Several different lengths of part 24 may be provided for reaching tubes in fixtures at difierent elevations.

Various types of drive connection may be used between shaft l8 and. roller l9 so as to afiord a remote operation of the roller. In the present device, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, the roller ll is provided with an axial bore 21 tightly fitted upon the exterior of a" member 6, in spaced subhelical spring 28 which is, in turn, supported on an axially extending rod 29. One end 3| of the rod 29 is bent at substantially right angles to the axi of the roller and is positioned through an aperture in the base 1 and secured thereat by nuts 32 and 33 threaded on to the end 3| on opposite sides of the base. The opposite end 34 of the rod is curved to extend from the center portion of the rod on which the roller is mounted into the center of shaft I8 so as to locate thereinone end 36 of the spring 28. The spring end 36 has a pressed fit within the interior of shaft IS anchoring the spring and shaft for joint movement. 7

In this manner rotary movement of shaft l8 will be transmitted through spring 28 to roller II, it being noted that the axes of the shaft and the roller are at substantially right angles to each other.

In operation to remove a fluorescent lamp tube from its fixture, the clasp member 9 may be elevated to the fixture by means of the handle extension 25 so as to place the open upper end of the clasp member against the bottom side of the tube to be removed. By pressing the open side of the clasp against the tube, sidewalls 8 and 9 will be resiliently spread and sprung on to the tube periphery, as illustrated in Figure 3 so as to firmly embrace the tube and grip the tube against the roller H. The sidewalls 8 and 9 are preferably formed of spring metal or other resilient material, having a relatively low coefficient of friction, so as to permit ready turning of the tube within the clasp member. On the other hand, the roller II is preferably formed of a material, such as rubber, having a relatively high coefficient of friction so as to firmly grip the tube for joint rotation of the tube and the roller. Accordingly, after attachment of the clasp member to the tube, as above described, the operator merely needs to turn the handle extension 24 so as to transmit a rotary movement to the roller l l and the tube so as to free the tube from its mounting sockets. Thereafter, the tube may be safely lowered to the operator while it is firmly gripped in the clasp member thereby pre-' venting accidental dropping and breaking of the tube. When the device is used for installing a tube, the above operation is substantially reversed, that is, the tube is first inserted in the clasp member 6, then elevated to its mounting sockets in the light fixture, and then the handle part 24 is rotated so as to rotate the lamp terminals into locked engagement in the sockets. In the operations above described, it will be noted that the clasp member 6 closely embraces the tube, particularly at the upper end thereof, so as to permit the placing of the tube in close proximity to the reflector or to the fixture parts. In this connection it will be particularly noted that the upper ends l3 and I4 extend but a very short distance from the periphery of the tube engaged within the clasp member.

I claim:

1. A tool for detachably engaging a fluorescent lamp tube or the like for insertion and removal of the tube in and from its socket mountings comprising, a tube engaging and supporting member,

a roller mounted on said member for rotation about an axis generally parallel to the axis of a tube in the supported position thereof, said member having a spring part formed to resiliently engage the periphery of a tube and to resiliently clasp said tube between said part and said roller for joint rotation of said tube and roller, a handle connected to and freely rotatable relative to said member, and drive means connected to said roller and said handle for turning said roller in either direction on rotation of said handle, said spring part having a relatively low coefficient of friction to permit ready turning of said tube periphery thereagainst and said roller having a relatively large coefficient of friction to grip said tube periphery for joint rotation of said tube and roller.

2. A tool for insertion and removal of fluorescent light tubes and the like comprising, a U-shaped clasp member of spring material having a base and a pair of sides extending therefrom in generally parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base, a roller mounted for rotation within said member adjacent said base and along an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the planes of said sides, rotatable drive means connected to said roller and carried by said member and manually engageable exteriorly of said member for turning said roller, and flexible means interconnecting said drive means and said roller whereby the latter may be selectively rotated in either direction upon rotation of said drive means, said sides being formed to resiliently clasp the periphery of a tube to be handled by the tool and to urge said periphery into engagement with said roller for rotation therewith.

3. A tool for detachably engaging a fluorescent lamp tube or the like for insertion and removal of the tube in and from its socket mountings comprising, a U-shaped clasp member of spring metal having a base and a pair of sides extending therefrom in generally parallel relation substantially perpendicular to said base, a friction roller of compressible rubber-like material mounted for rotation in said member in spaced substantially parallel relation to said base and along an axis of rotation located between and substantially parallel to the planes of said sides, a manually engageable part journalled for rotation in said base and extending exteriorly thereof about an axis substantially perpendicular to said base, and a flexible drive means connecting said part and said roller to effect rotation of said roller relative to said member on rotation of said part, said sides being formed for resilient spreading to clasp the periphery of said tube between said sides and said roller for joint rotation of said tube and roller.

LAFE STUELAND.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Switzer Aug. 7, 1945 Number 

